Athens has lodged an official complaint to Germany over increased checks on Greek travelers at German airports that contravene procedures stipulated in the Schengen Agreement. According to the Schengen Agreement, citizens of signatory countries can move freely between those states without border checks.
The new regulations implemented by Germany are expected to stay in force at least until mid May 2018. Currently Angela Merkel’s party is under pressure, to satisfy political partners to form coalition government amid rising concerns over refugee arrivals.
The Greek government is reportedly extremely annoyed with the situation but Athens’s protestations to the German government were seen as relatively moderate.
Germany claims that, so far in 2017, some 1,000 non-Greeks arrived at German airports from Greece without a Schengen certification.
According to German authorities, passengers who enter Germany from Greece have to go through special border control procedures which effectively place Greece outside the Schengen area.
Edited for Apokoronas News
